Donatello's Darkness Completed
by Alaer Kino
Summary: An interesting tale of 14 yr old Donatello venturing out topside and discovering a dangerous darkness growing inside of him which Splinter must help him conquer. Loosely based off the comics where Don tries to kill Splinter, I give a reason why that may be. Completed Short Story Updated w new content in Ch.4. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Donatello's Darkness

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Master Splinter was a happy adopted father until one day, a horrific nightmare alerts him that something severely drastic has happened to his son Donatello. Meanwhile, young Don does his best to hide what he has done while out on the surface world. It's a darkness within him that he doesn't want anyone, especially not his father, to ever find out about...  
**Main Cast:** Splinter and fourteen year old Donatello. Please Read and Review, thanks!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. cpbunnyart. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy TMNT artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

**Donatello's Darkness**

Splinter had forbidden his adopted terrapin sons to go to the surface world, fearing they would be seen and killed. He told them repetitively never to venture into the human world.

The Turtles obeyed somewhat. As tots, they snuck topside to teach a kid (Casey Jones) how to fight, but Splinter found out and successfully kept them underground for years.

But when those Turtle tots became teenagers, Splinter, due to his declining health, wasn't able to watch them as well as he used to in the past.

One fateful evening, a young very inquisitive Donatello decided one short trip topside wouldn't spell doom and left the secret grate he had been using to stare wistfully out at the surface world.

He was tired of watching people go by and seeing them enjoy their lives above ground, while he stayed below wondering and wishing. He longed to be with those happy people and he wanted to enjoy life like how humans did.

Don knew from television that life was better topside. From advanced technology to pretty girls, real quality living could only be obtained within the surface world.

Splinter said countless times that the human world would never be theirs, but Don refused to accept that. Ever since he became six years old, he believed that he was just as much a human as any of the regular Homo sapiens.

Now as a very wise teenager, he viewed himself as a human being that deserved to join his kind. Yes, Splinter was wise too, but Don was aware of his fast growing intellect and deemed his own decision-making safe to follow.

Being careful not to be seen, he used his ninja training to keep within the shadows at all times. He joyfully observed the humans yards away, sometimes even several feet away.

It was the closest he had ever been to their kind... No, his kind. He wanted to make friends, but his gut told him to still hold Splinter's warning of staying hidden in highest regard. The terrapin in him made him trust his instincts more than his desires for now.

Don's short visit topside turned out to be a long one. The entire city was like a living museum with people going about their lives and doing things Don only could dream about.

He kept very still and quiet in an alley as he noticed a tall thin man approach a very pretty lady sitting on a bench. She greeted him with much intimacy and the two hugged, then began kissing.

Don was enthralled by this. Never before in his life did he yearn for what that couple had. True love between mates. It was beautiful and the young Turtle was entrapped by its magic.

The couple left in a machine that Don proudly knew was a car. If only he could have a girlfriend and a wonderful piece of machinery such as that car the skinny man had. Wow...

Don didn't care how his girlfriend would look like, just as long as she really loved him. He'd give anything to have a female in his life like that.

He watched a mother go by on the sidewalk with her toddler. The kid asked to be picked up and she did so, cuddling her son as she continued on her way. Now Don yearned to be a father, like how Splinter was with wonderful children to love.

Even having one child would be good enough. But having a loving mate and being a father were simply fantasies for this poor soul. Don sighed, feeling very dejected.

He reluctantly knew deep down inside that he would never have a mate nor be a father someday. Those were the cold hard facts that Splinter had been telling him all his life.

He was 'human' too (well, human-like), yet he couldn't really be one. Their world could never be his. Just like Splinter said. And had been saying. Continuously.

A cruel reality. His reality...

No. He couldn't accept defeat. He wouldn't. Facts or not, he could truly be at one with the humans and their world. He was smart enough to do it. He just had to try at least!

Suddenly, a shrill scream made the young mutant aware of danger. He should return back to the safety of the sewers now and avoid being seen. Instead, Don went to where he heard the scream to investigate.

As wonderful and amazing as the humans were, they were not without their dark side. He knew plenty of the terrible things humans did to one another from news reports on TV. And what they did to helpless animals...

Don and his brothers vowed amongst one another to put an end to it somehow once they were strong enough to. Don was sure he was strong enough now. He could be a hero today!

He wasn't a kid anymore. Why, he was practically an adult. He just turned fourteen recently and he knew how to take care of himself. Now he was going to take care of others with what Splinter had taught him.

"No, please! Don't!" cried a female voice from a vacant lot. A nice looking teenaged girl was being attacked by an overly tan guy brandishing a knife. The girl wished she had listened to her mother and had not gone to her friend's house this late at night. Now she was in big trouble.

"Shut up!" The guy jabbed at the girl to scare her into submission so he could rape her with more ease. Don yanked his bo staff from its holder on his shell and disarmed the guy.

"What the-?!" The guy looked to where his knife was knocked to then to where Don was standing. The purple clad Turtle was concealed in shadow, so they weren't frightened yet.

"Please help me!" the girl cried, grateful for the rescue.

"Whoever you are, you are dead!" The guy trash-talked Don some more before charging at him. During the brief fight, the guy pulled out a second knife and tried to cut the ninja's throat open.

After much struggling for the blade, the guy suddenly went limp and he slumped down to the ground. Don's bloody fingers were wrapped around the handle of the blood-soaked dagger.

It took him a moment to realize what he had done. During the fight, Don had stabbed and killed the guy! Accidentally, but still. And not only that, but he wasn't in the shadows anymore.

The girl saw the blood dripping from the knife and her eyes traveled up Don's green arm. When she saw that he wasn't human, she let out a horrified shriek before bolting away in extreme fear.

"No, wait! I didn't mean to!" Don cried, holding out a hand. But he lowered it in defeat as he repeated almost silently. "I didn't mean to..."

Splinter was meditating in the living room of their rundown home. He sensed Donatello trying to sneak past him to his room and without opening his eyes, he spoke.

"Where have you been, my son?"

Don froze in his tracks as he put his blood stained hands behind his shell. He swallowed hard and fought to find his voice.

"In my laboratory." he said, hating himself to lie like that. But he couldn't tell his father that he had taken a life. Not on purpose, but deep down inside, he was pleased that he did it regardless. And that was what bothered him. Frightened him.

What would Splinter think of him if he found out that he went topside and killed a human? Don feared Splinter would disown him instantly, so he was forced to lie.

"Don't stay out so late, Donatello. I was getting worried." Splinter said quietly, knowing that his son was lying to him. He could smell the blood on him. He had done something dire, but the rat decided to give his son a chance to tell the truth on his own.

"I won't do it again, Sensei. I promise." Don replied, meaning it. He never wanted to kill again. It brought out something... baneful out of him.

When he murdered that man, he felt an odd joy deep inside; a dark enjoyment he immediately hid shamefully as soon as he felt it. He couldn't really LIKE killing, could he?

**To Be Continued in Chapter 2!****  
****My first story with Splinter in it! ^_^ Thanks for reading and please leave a review. :) Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Donatello's Darkness Ch.2

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
****Author Note:** Master Splinter was a happy adopted father until one day, a horrific nightmare alerts him that something severely drastic has happened to his son Donatello. Meanwhile, young Don does his best to hide what he has done while out on the surface world. It's a darkness within him that he doesn't want anyone, especially not his father, to ever find out about...  
**Main Cast:** Splinter and fourteen year old Donatello. Please Read and Review, thanks!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there. Profanity is not censored.  
Please check out my sites at **www. cpbunny art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy TMNT artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

**Donatello's Darkness**

"Hey, Donnie! What'cha doing?" Mikey asked as he peered over his older brother's shoulder while he was tinkering with some metal parts.

"Making something." Don replied absent-mindedly.

"Forget that stupid stuff! Let's you and me do something fun tonight." He was hoping that Don would stop messing around with those pieces of junk and go to the surface so they could ogle at girls undressing in windows.

Mikey had been sneaking topside for days now. But he was tired of going alone. He wanted to share his viewing fun with his favorite older brother while he peeped on unsuspecting female humans.

"Oh, yeah?" Don asked, not looking up from his work. "You want to play another round of 'Smash'em Up'?" While that video game was one of Mikey's all time favorites, he was in the mood for more naughtier things.

"Naw, dude! Lemme just show ya! Come on!" Mikey practically pried Don out of his chair and dragged him away to a different part of the tunnels to get topside. Don dug his heels in when Mikey began to climb a ladder to a manhole.

"Mikey, we're **_not_** supposed to go topside!" Don said in a hushed scared voice. The memories came rushing back to him. The fight, the pained grunting from the guy as Don stabbed him to his death, the screaming from that girl.

And worst of all, the evil dark glee the purple clad Turtle felt from taking a life... It all came back hard upon poor Don. He began to back up quickly. Mikey jumped down and grabbed him again.

"Come on, Donnie! It's no biggie! I've been going topside for days now. Nothing bad is gonna happen! You gotta come along with me! PLEEEEASE!" Mikey begged, saying the word 'please' repetitively until Don gave in.

"ALRIGHT! Sheesh, just shut up! I'm coming, I'm coming!" Don cried, pushing Mikey up the ladder. The brothers came out into a dark alley near a fire escape on one side of the two buildings they were sandwiched in between.

"Up we go." Mikey said gleefully and scaled the fire escape in a few seconds. Don sighed in defeat and followed him. 'I-we're not supposed to be up here!' he thought, but kept going up to the rooftop and got beside his little brother, who was already peeping on an anonymous curvy girl undressing near her window.

Don immediately was captured by the beauty of the girl and also watched with great interest. She only had her bra and panties on now. The naughty teens waited in anticipation, but the girl moved out of sight, much to their dismay.

"_**Damn!**_" Mikey swore in intense annoyance. "Why'd she have to move away? Last night, she stripped everything off and-"

"Mikey, we shouldn't even be here!" Don cried, coming back to his senses. "Splinter will KILL us!"

"She had the sexiest looking boobs and everything, better than those hags in Raph's outdated porn magazine. If only I could meet her or something..." Mikey wasn't listening so Don began to storm off. The orange clad Turtle finally 'woke up' as he noticed his older brother stomping away.

"Dude, dude! Come back, man! Splinter won't find out or nuthin'! I've got it all figured out! I got this strategy, dude!" Mikey struggled to stop Don in his tracks. He yanked away angrily and glared at his little brother.

"_What?_ YOU have some sort of 'strategy' figured out where Splinter won't know what we have been doing? Ha." Don sneered, hating this. Splinter wasn't stupid. He ALWAYS found out the mischief his children got into, no matter what. They were totally screwed for sure.

"Yeah, look, see." Mikey demonstrated with his hands. "Splinter's real old now and he needs like twenty million naps throughout the day, 'k? I know exactly when he goes to sleep right down to the second! Cool, huh?"

"Mikey! That's such a disrespectful thing to say!" Don was shocked. Mikey waved his hands to 'calm' him.

"Nah, nah! It's not like that, man! Sheesh, why you gotta twist everything and make a big deal out of nuthin' like Leo?"

"I'm going back to the Lair and you should too. If you don't, I'll tell Splinter." Don threatened.

"Wha-?! You asshole! I showed you the best place in the city to see hot babes stripping for free and you're going to squeal on me? You're up here too! You'll get into trouble with me! Is that what you want? End all the fun up here?!" Mikey was getting very upset and angry.

"I want us to be back home and out of trouble. Is that too much to ask?" Don snarled back, baring his teeth. Mikey frowned bitterly with his blue eyes narrowed hatefully.

"Damned party-pooper." Mikey hissed as he shoved past Don heatedly and went back to the manhole. Don followed him and was about to get into the hole when he heard a faint, yet distressed cry. After a short moment another faraway scream for help and then another.

He looked down to see Mikey had left already in seething ire. Don tried to ignore the pleas for help, but the next one was so dire that he raced away to the pitiful shrieks. He came upon a crime scene of a mugger trying to rob a poor elderly lady on a sidewalk, halfway in and out of an alleyway.

Somehow the old lady reminded Don of Splinter and the mugger represented all the evil in the world out to harm his family. The mugger now was callously punching the senior citizen to make her release her purse, which she hung onto with all her might.

Don flew into an instant rage and rushed forward; grabbing the mugger from behind, turning him, and slamming his fist into the man's face. The guy fell to the ground and the little old lady fled quickly, screaming in fright.

The Turtle jumped upon the man and kept ramming his fists into him, hitting with unrestrained fury for a long while. Then sprays of blood made Don's eyes shut to protect his vision. The smell of blood seemed to 'reawaken' something sinister within Don, but at the same time, it made his fear grow and swell, choking him.

"Oh, no...!" he whispered, unable to believe that he had done it again. He killed another human! He leapt off the dead body, now all battered and bruised beyond recognition. Don looked down in horror at his work and then his hands, covered in fresh blood. Again.

Without another thought, he sprinted off to the manhole and back to the Lair. He prayed Splinter wasn't up now. He had to get back to his room and get this blood off before his father saw it. He just couldn't let Splinter find out about this...and that he enjoyed killing again...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 3!****  
****Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Donatello's Darkness Ch.3

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
****Author Note:** Master Splinter was a happy adopted father until one day, a horrific nightmare alerts him that something severely drastic has happened to his son Donatello. Meanwhile, young Don does his best to hide what he has done while out on the surface world. It's a darkness within him that he doesn't want anyone, especially not his father, to ever find out about...  
**Main Cast:** Splinter and fourteen year old Donatello. Please Read and Review, thanks!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy TMNT artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

**Donatello's Darkness**

When Don returned to the Lair shortly after killing that mugger, Splinter was up late meditating in the living room. Where the old rat sat made it impossible for Don to sneak past without being sensed.

Splinter's nose wiggled as he smelled blood again. The scent made him open his eyes to see his smartest boy trying to flee up to his room as fast as he could. He was not fast enough.

"Donatello, what are you doing up so late?" Splinter asked, not letting on that he suspected him of doing a lot more than just that. Would his son lie to him again?

"I-, uh, I just went to the bathroom, Father..." Don replied, avoiding his eyes and turning his face away to shut his eyes in shame. Splinter's ears dropped in sadness. He lied again. The rat narrowed his eyes and stood up.

He approached Don quickly, making the young Turtle back up in surprise. Splinter stopped and gave him a foreboding stare that sent much anxiety through the now frightened mutant terrapin.

"Show me your hands." Splinter demanded and waited.

"I...I can't..." Don squeaked, but his father wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I said, show me your hands. _**NOW**_!" Splinter barked, getting angry.

"No! Master, please, I...-!" Don tried to escape, but Splinter forcefully got a hold of his arms and yanked his blood-stained hands forward. The Turtle tore his hands free, breathing hard. He was in so much trouble!

"Why is there blood on your hands, my son?" Splinter asked, although he could sense what may have happened. His son must have murdered someone.

Splinter knew the day would come when his sons would kill, but why was it so soon? And why did his meekest son do so first? The rat believed Raphael would be the first, but never Donatello, the son who was a pacifist.

"I-I didn't, I-!" Don stammered, unable to get out of this one.

"You didn't what?" Splinter demanded, frowning. Don couldn't say more as he dropped to his knees with tears blinding his eyes. When he began to shake with sobs, Splinter put his arms around his son tightly.

"You've done something terrible, I know. I will not pry it out of you. I can wait until you are ready to tell me what has happened, but do not lie to me again. Do you understand, Donatello?" the old rat asked as he held his trembling child close.

Don nodded his head and squeezing his eyes tightly shut with fresh heavy tears flowing down his cheeks. Splinter pulled away and wiped his son's face tenderly. The look in his eyes made Don fight to find his voice. He struggled to tell Splinter the truth finally.

"I-I..was going topside the last two nights..." Don whimpered, his voice wavering. He had his eyes to the floor, then raised them to Splinter's.

"Go on." Splinter said, his eyes filled with sadness and anger at this confession. He had warned them in excessively to never go topside, but his gentlest boy had disobeyed him. It was hurtful.

"And...and..." Don gasped for air as he wiped his right eye hard with his forearm. "...I k-killed someone...each night... Oh, God!" Don broke down and cried harder as he curled downward to his father's feet.

"And I _ENJOYED_ it, Master!" The purple clad Turtle hiccupped and sucked in more air heavily. "Please, please! Forgive me...!"

Splinter's entire furry body drooped with terrible sorrow. He slowly went down and put his arms around his fallen son and held him close. But as he did, he suddenly saw a vision entered in his mind, a horrific vision. A vision he had seen before in his nightmares and had tried to forget about...

There he was, against a wall. Battered, bruised, and broken. And Donatello before him, splattered with blood. His bloody hands were arched with hatred... A vicious snarl on his beak with dark detestation burning in his brown eyes.

Splinter shook his head to make it go away, but it didn't. He had to pull away and stop touching his son. The vision went away finally. It unnerved the old rat and he ushered Don to his room, doing his best to calm him even though he was shaking himself now.

'No, these visions-...nightmares can NOT be true!' Splinter thought in alarm. He could not bear to have any of his children despise him, let alone want him dead. This just could not be so!

'I must take Donatello to the temple tomorrow.' The old rat knew he had no choice. He had to rid Don of his demons before they manifested themselves physically against Splinter, using his son's own natural savage reptilian roots to do so.

Although Splinter had this nightmare once, it was one that disturbed him to his core. His dear sweet Don had somehow transformed into a huge monstrous beast of savagery, hungry for death. Splinter was being hunted down by his own son in this terrible nightmare and at the end, he was caught and about to be eaten alive by Don when he woke up crying out in shock.

'He must go and be cleansed...' Splinter was sure once this was done, things would be right again. Safe again.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 4!****  
****Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Donatello's Darkness Ch.4

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
****Author Note:** Master Splinter was a happy adopted father until one day, a horrific nightmare alerts him that something severely drastic has happened to his son Donatello. Meanwhile, young Don does his best to hide what he has done while out on the surface world. It's a darkness within him that he doesn't want anyone, especially not his father, to ever find out about...  
**Main Cast:** Splinter and fourteen year old Donatello. Please Read and Review, thanks!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy TMNT artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

**Donatello's Darkness**

Early in the morning, Splinter took Don away, leaving Leo to watch over Raph and Mikey. He told Leo he would need to do special training for Don and be back very soon.

Leo nodded, not questioning his father's actions nor asking about why Don was getting special training. Leo was a little jealous, thinking Don was getting special treatment. He decided to show Splinter what a good older brother he could be and a sensei himself by training Raph and Mikey.

Then Splinter would know what a great leader Leo could be if he could get Raph and Mikey more training to show off later. But the young Turtle found it hard to make his younger siblings obey him and he ended up fighting more with Raph while Mikey made himself more fat by eating all the food in the Lair. Leo growled. He wasn't off to a good start here.

Splinter took Don far away to a temple he had never seen before. The old rat made the shivering Donatello enter the temple first and he stared around him in frightened awe. It almost looked like Heaven. It had a celestial beauty about it.

"My son, sit." Splinter ordered, pointing to the hard marble flooring in front of a statue of a dragon. Don timidly sat cross-legged even though it was cold and hurt his tail.

"We must meditate now." Splinter said simply as he sat across from Don.

"Yes, Master Splinter."

"We're going to rid the demons that lurk in your soul, my son. You will be cleansed and no longer enjoy killing. But this will not be a pleasant process. You will feel much pain and anguish. No matter how much it hurts, you must not stop meditating. You need to face what is trying to destroy you with dark desires. Do you understand?" Splinter stared deep into Don's very terrified eyes.

"Y-yes..." Don let Splinter reach over and grab his skull to help him by entering his mind. In telepathy, he explained to Don that he was in his mind on the astral plane and with him now.

'My son, let's find the core of your troubles. You know where it is.' Splinter said, a floaty image along with Don's in the Turtle's mind. Don felt terrible dread and alarm go through him instantly. Not that part! That thing lived there!

'No, Master Splinter! I-I...I can't go there..! Please don't make me go there!' Don cried, so deathly afraid of the thing that instead of facing it, he let it control him instead. As long as he didn't make it mad, he was safer.

'You MUST face your troubles, Donatello! I told you not to back away from this cleansing! You MUST take me to the core of your troubles! NOW!' Splinter yelled, his strict sharp tones forcing Don to take him to where the thing lurked.

Splinter finally saw the terrible thing scaring and controlling his son. The thing was a hyper mutated version of adult Don snarling and crawling around on all four claws as it prowled around Don's soul. As soon as it noticed them the creature growled demonically, causing Don to hide behind Splinter.

Splinter himself felt a twinge of fright as he saw it. That monstrous beast was the very creature Donatello would turn into someday and kill him. Don's natural terrapin self was mutating separately from Don's mutated human mind, creating a dangerous rift in the young mutant's soul. The chemicals in the ooze were not done mutating Donatello.

There was no telling when the mutation would complete itself, but when it did, Don would become a horrible monster for certain. Splinter thought perhaps a demon had possessed his son, but now he could see that the demon was his son! He could not cure nor cleanse him, but he could delay the process of hyper mutation.

'Donatello, you must cage off this creature from your soul!' Splinter commanded, not telling him that the creature would be him someday. He was sure Don could find a cure to fix the issue in the future. He would explain such later, but now it was time to quarantine the beast.

"I-I don't know how!" Don cried, shivering and squeaked in fright when the hyper mutated Don roared at them both. It began to approach them walking upright then with long hooked claws out. It roared again, bloody spittle flying from its wicked jaws full of razor sharp teeth jutting out all directions. The beast had to be nearly seven feet tall it seemed. The shadow of the demonic creature covered both Splinter and Don then.

'You must face this! Do it NOW!" Splinter shouted and cried out as the beast grabbed him suddenly with one of its bone-crushing claws. The savagery of the monster's hatred burned Splinter's own soul then. **'AARGGH!** S-stop him, my son!'

Seeing his sensei being harmed, Don was able to forget his fear. He sought out to try and tame the beast of his soul then. He whipped out his bo staff angrily, breathing hard and in desperation.

'Leave Splinter alone, you-you horrid thing! You terrible monster; **just stop it!**' Don screamed, swiping his bo out creating violet psychic waves of energy, causing the evil creature to shriek in pain and let Splinter go.

'Master Splinter!' Don cried, going to his fallen father and helped him upright. The beast wasn't deterred and recovered quickly. It roared again, raising its wicked hooked claws towards them. It crawled towards them on all fours, swishing its massive thick tail like a snake. Growling and hissing, it picked up speed and charged with the strength and speed of a freight train.

Don cast out his bo again and sent the thing flying away. It howled in rage and shook its head, trying to figure out why it couldn't topple Don like it used to. Before he would just cower and let the evil thing take hold of his mind. Then it could feed on the bloodlust Don fed it whenever he took a life. Now, he was fighting back and starving his evil within. It didn't like that one bit, so it attacked him once more with plenty of enraged roaring.

'I said **STOP IT!** You don't control me! I control you, you wicked evil thing! I'm not afraid of you! And I'm not going to let you bully me around anymore! You hear me?! **NO MORE!**" Don roared back in a similar matter at the beast and ran to fight it.

Splinter watched the creature get pushed back by Don into a magically created cage that appeared suddenly. The silver gleaming cage had a glittering light to it, like pure goodness. The beast viciously roared in pained protest as Don slammed the cage door on it. It rattled the bars, searing its flesh on the purity of the metal which was the serenity of Don's human side. In agony, it shrieked and hissed, but Don put his hands out and those psychic waves returned, calming the beast into sleeping.

In a flash of light, the two were transported back to their bodies and opened their eyes. Splinter smiled at Don who looked more peaceful and proud. He hugged him hard, tears dampening his father's fur.

"I did it, Master Splinter... I tamed that thing in my soul finally... It's locked away and can't come out again. I'm free!" Don said joyously, but Splinter's saddened worried expression dimmed his triumphant delight.

"Master Splinter?"

"You are not free, my son. You were not cleansed. That beast will return and...and you will become that beast someday...to kill me..."

"NO! No, no, no Master Splinter, never! I could never kill you, no!" Don cried, feeling doomed again. "I'll kill myself before I ever kill you..." Splinter grabbed his arms and shook him.

"Do NOT dare do such a thing, my son! You are intelligent and you can create a cure to stop yourself from mutating further. You are the one who can cleanse yourself. Don't even THINK about killing yourself! You will kill me that way too if you are gone from my life!"

"(sob)..A-alright, Master Splinter... I'll find a cure and then I really will be free...from my own darkness..." Don promised, tears falling. Splinter scooped him up and carried him home.

"I know you will, my son. I know you will." The walk home was a happier one with Splinter and Don hand in hand. Months after, Splinter did not have those nightmares of that demonic beast any more. Splinter was certain then that Donatello would be successful in finding the cure that would save them all.

**THE END**

**THIS STORY IS CONTINUED IN THE "DESTRUCTION OF TURTLE TRUST" STORY AT - See my stories list: s/4870097/1/Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Destruction-of-Turtle-Trust**


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